Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Entangled Souls ❯ Nightmares and Dreams ( Chapter 2 )

Tifa had long been lost in dreams, fond memories of Vincent engaging such night-time fantasies. In the midst of a memory involving a brief talk they'd had on the Highwind, the conversation shattered between them something similar to delicate glass. Tifa had angered Vincent some how, and embarrassed him all in the same. He waved a hand toward her dismissively and strode toward the railing of the deck. Her unconscious mind watched the drama unfold as though it were a movie playing on a screen.

A tale was weaved of her passive feelings, Vincent had called her on the issue of the long sedated love she felt for a certain blonde haired, blue eyed boy. He proclaimed to an apparently angry Tifa that she should not waste time with someone so undeserving of her attentions and that was the moment she had blurted `So I suppose you think you're deserving?' Vincent had blushed a thousand shades of crimson before turning upon gold clad heels and fleeing the scene.

Tifa stood there with a baffled expression dominating porcelain features, speechless to say the least. In the few precious seconds it took for her to realize what she had said, Vincent had nearly crippled over at the railing. The hard soles of her boots thudded against the floor as she felt herself being pulled to his side by some force beyond her reasoning. Before she had decided what to do about the situation, she was beside him. His eyes were glowing a new shade of red as he raised them to settle upon her, though she felt like a spectator to the events unfolding.

“Vincent, I'm so sorry…” Her voice was faint as she spoke. She was in disbelief when she saw salted water welling within the lower portion of his eyes. Perhaps the confrontation had swept him back to memories with Lucrecia? Finally, the cloaked man lifted himself with assistance from the railing, standing before Tifa as the sun set in the distance. His hand moved to cup her cheek in a warm embrace, settling from his discomposure.

“I should be apologizing. You see, I have called you on such feelings in hopes that I might see some sign that they are false.” His voice was calm as ever while he spoke, nearer to her than she'd ever experienced.

“Wh-- what? Why?” Tifa inquired, brows scrunching and lashes fluttering in a look of confusion.

“Because, Tifa…” Vincent drew closer, bringing her into his arms, “Have you not noticed? I believe I have fallen for you.” With that, he lowered his head and successfully closed the distance between them, his lips pressed firmly against hers. The sudden kiss eased the discomfort of confusion as his words rolled through her mind continuously.

Their fleeting kiss lasted but seconds before he broke away, leaning back to survey the expression she wore. To his surprise, she didn't seem angry or confused. A certain peace lay over her and she looked happy. Tifa's mind observed, causing the dream to feel quite real. After a moment of silence, wine coloured eyes drifted from the peaceful crimson they'd met with and suddenly clashed with mako infused blue.

The blonde's jaw hung loose, in confusion or perhaps lack of words. Tifa shifted uncomfortably, wishing to disappear into the safety of Vincent's cloak and beyond the burning stare of the blue eyes. The few words he managed to utter were hardly audible, let alone managed to make any sort of sentence. `Tifa… Vincent… I…What?' happened to be all that he could spare. If he'd meant to say more, she surely wouldn't have been surprised. His head hung and his chin nearly met his chest, as he turned upon his heels and ran from the scene. Tifa felt the tear within her chest, but the peace that had settled in her heart urged her to stay in Vincent's arms a while longer.

“You can go, if you wish.” He comforted, his hands sweeping over the small of her back and disconnecting with her entirely.

“No. I would have, had I not heard the words you said to me before.” Strands of espresso tickled against her cheeks as she shook her head. Her chin rose and her eyes met with his, “The truth is, ever since we first began to talk… I've always felt close to you. I can't explain it, but in a way I've fallen for you, too.” She confessed, her eyes never leaving his. Vincent could see the honesty with which she spoke, and he felt certain she hadn't been playing his mind.

In a lapse of judgment and perhaps character as well, Cloud had managed to unsheathe his sword. As tears fogged his eyesight, he looked upon the newly formed couple with rage. A quick dash lead him back to where he'd first observed the interaction between Tifa and Vincent, and before Vincent's otherwise engaged mind could register the threat, the sharp end of the blade pierced through his stomach and twisted. The pain was momentary as the blade entered and Tifa was in disbelief.

“Cloud that's not like you at all! What are you thinking?” She screamed, reaching out for Vincent. The blood began to spill and the blade was removed, allowing the stream to increase and Vincent fell against the floor with a harsh thud. Tifa's scream would likely have stirred all the earth, but the only person it managed to bother was in fact, Tifa.

Dark lashes fluttered and lids sprang open, deep eyes peering at the dark ceiling of the familiar Inn. Her chest heaved as she inhaled and exhaled sweet oxygen, feeling as though she'd been deprived of such basic life for hours. A tear quickly fled down the side of her face and gathered within her ear, causing her to jerk her head away from the pillow, fingers prying within the cavern to wipe away the unwanted moisture.

The newly awakened girl stared in silence at the ceiling, unsure of what to make of reality. Her mind was analyzing the events that had played out before her in her nightmare. Sweat covered palms rose and rested against her forehead as she fought to slow her breathing. `It was only a nightmare… and not even a realistic one at that.' She convinced herself. `Cloud couldn't possibly kill Vincent. Nor would he.' She furthered the explanation.

Her self induced analysis session came to a halt when she was interrupted by a terrible noise coming from the outside halls. She froze and listened carefully in the silence, trying to discern what could have been responsible for such a noise. `Nothing.' Fingers pushed the sheets and blankets down the bed and she sat forward, listening more intently. The noise reoccurred and she was able to find comfort in the fact that it was a human voice. She was preparing to lie back down, when the voice came at a higher intensity. Upon the third instance, Tifa realized that someone was yelling and that someone was Vincent.

She pushed the covers away from her and brought her legs beyond the edge of the bed. She wiped the last bit of sleep from her eyes and lifted herself from the mattress, hurriedly grabbing at a pair of satin pajama bottoms she'd tossed aside upon arrival. The garment was slipped up and over toned limbs and quickly tied around her waist. She flew from her room and came to the door to Vincent's room. Knuckles came in contact with said door in an all but desperate manner as she waited impatiently outside the door. No answer came. She knocked again and managed a hushed shout of his name. Nothing came about. Finally, she tried the door knob and it shot to the side allowing the door to squeak open.

She pushed past the door and closed it upon entering. Burgundy eyes searched the room until they fell upon a form twisted within the sheets on the bed. Another yell emitted through parted lips as his face contorted in a look of pain. Tifa felt adrenaline course through her veins as she rushed to the bedside. She knew he had nightmares, but the severity of the one that seemed to grip him now was astonishing. She gazed upon the shirtless form as his squirming came to an end. Slowly, she brought her fingers to brush against the soft skin that encased his shoulder.

“Vincent?” She whispered, though Vincent did not respond. The moment her hand brushed against his shoulder, calm washed through him and she couldn't help but notice the innocence that fled into his features. It seemed as though his nightmare ended, perhaps she had stirred him enough to stop whatever torture was being put upon him in his sleep.

Tifa lingered for a moment, fingers gingerly tracing the apparent line of a vein that led from his shoulder down his bicep. A smile graced her lips and she felt satisfied she'd put an end to his nightmare. She rose from her hunched stance at his side, and turned to the door. Silent foot falls brought her within mere inches from the door when the sleeping man cried out again. She looked over her shoulder to see him writhing beneath the sheets. A sigh escaped from betwixt parted pastel as she found herself back to the hunched position in seconds.

“Vincent?” She tried again, her hand coming against the inner side of his elbow this time. Still, he did not stir from his sleep. This fact amused her for a moment, with his precise instincts she had assumed he would have sensed her presence long before she entered the room, though she was mistaken. For whatever purpose, he'd not consciously realized Tifa had come to him. She tightened her grip on his arm, squeezing a bit and whispering his name again, watching as the calm returned to him. Inexplicable as it was, she seemed to control whether he continued in his nightmare.

Guilt tugged at her, while her mind told her to simply return to bed. She felt a need to help, though she knew that he must have survived many nights such as this one. She brought her hand away from his arm, as her gaze roamed his chin. She'd never seen his face quite so naked before, his bandana and cloak discarded for the evening. She traced the shape of his eyebrows with her eyes, then the expanse of his forehead and further into the mess of midnight.

Upon entertaining the idea of the free flowing locks, her hand strayed further and ran through the silken mane from root to end, feeling the cool strands slip through her fingers until they descended back against his pillow. She sat there for quite some time, comforting him with the light touch of fingers flowing through his hair. Slowly, her heavy lids won the unseen argument, descending until lashes rested upon flesh. Her head slowly fell as contentment flooded her mind, her own nightmare seemingly forgotten. As her forehead made contact with his arm, her neck jerked and she found herself coming back into consciousness.

She didn't want to fall asleep, for fear of what Vincent might think. Slowly she came to stand, her left ankle popping in protest as she did so. She winced upon hearing the loud crack, but Vincent still did not stir. Finally she pleaded with her heart well enough to leave his side. She slipped back across the room and out into the halls, shutting the door before she could watch his nightmare slip back into his mind. She felt horrible, but she also did not want to press her luck. She slipped across the barrier of her door, and eyes searched out the LCD display of the clock on the nightstand. `Five…' she shook her head. It was still early, but there wouldn't be anymore sleep for tonight. She was too concerned that she'd find herself back in his room if she stayed, listening for his call.

Fingers grasped the fabric of a coat and she pulled it over her tee shirt. Toes slid into the embrace of the slippers that happened to match the pajamas. She grabbed the key from the nightstand and headed out of her room once again. There'd be no sense in getting dressed, it was still cold out and she had doubts that any place would be open so early. She justified her messy appearance and strode down the hall to the stairs. Each step was taken cautiously before she came to the bottom floor. The Inn Keeper greeted her but received merely a nod in his direction.

Tifa had slipped beyond the doors in a hurry, fleeing to the familiarity of the park once more. Arms crossed the expanse of her midsection, holding the coat around her in effort to keep warmth. Her hair soaked in the moisture from the mist that hung over the town, wrapping it in mystery. She came to the bench she had sat on the night before, and repeated history.

An hour passed as she sat on the bench, watching as the town slowly came to life. The residents began to spill from their homes and the business began to open, shopkeepers tiredly finding the energy to bring life into their stores. The dew settled onto blades of grass, though most of the mist that had enveloped the landscape earlier had left. Tifa was lost in her thoughts when she felt a pair of arms wrap wildly about her, pulling her into an awkward hug.

“Ohh! I missed you! I can't believe you're here!” The exclamations came as an assault on Tifa's ears. She immediately recognized the voice that spilled such over exaggerated words.

“Hey there.” She greeted Yuffie, embracing her for a moment, before letting her go. She scooted sideways on the bench so she could get a look at the girl. She had grown her hair out a bit, and she seemed to be changing slightly. “Wow! You just are growing up right in front of my eyes.” Tifa teased, in a rather motherly fashion.

“Guh!” Yuffie gasped and giggled a bit, but she caught the puffiness that resided beneath Tifa's eyes. “Gosh, Tif' didn't you sleep?” She wore a new look of concern as she prodded Tifa.

“Yeah… I did. I had a nightmare, but it was just that.” Tifa nodded, not wanting to press further into the events.

“Oh no! Stupid nightmares… But what have you been doing all this time?” Yuffie had directed the question to the time frame between Tifa's arrival and their meeting. Tifa seemed to be confused about her question, so she restated. “I mean since you got here!”

“Ah, yes. I eh… “ Tifa paused. She was nearly going to mention having dinner with Vincent when it dawned on her that Yuffie had once had a crush on him. A quick blush settled against her cheeks as she searched for an excuse. “Oh, you know this and that.” She stated, feigning nonchalance.

Yuffie might have been a little dense at times, but she knew the expression that Tifa displayed all too well. “Oh my gawd. You met someone here! You did, didn't you?” Yuffie pried into Tifa, giggling all the while.

“What? Did not. I was just sitting here almost the whole time.” Tifa wanted desperately to run back to her room.

“Yeah right. For three days?” Yuffie's expression brought serious sarcasm. “What's his name?” Clearly Yuffie was not about to let this one slide.

“Well… uhm, Okay!” Tifa exclaimed, finally facing that she'd have to tell Yuffie at some point, lest she be tortured with questions for days on end. “I was here sort of watching the town when Vincent came around out of nowhere.” Tifa tried to mention him casually.

“Vincent? As in Valentine?” Yuffie questioned.

“Yes. I went to dinner with him… turns out he's staying in the room next to mine and that was all.”

“That's it?” Yuffie peered deep into Tifa's eyes.

“Yep.”

“Why do I get the idea that's not it?”

“I don't know, Yuffie.” Tifa attempted to fight off Yuffie's insistent questioning, but she knew she was on the losing end. All at once a suspicious look crossed Yuffie and she gasped with excitement. Tifa could see the wheels turning in Yuffie's little scheming head.

“You like him!” She pointed at Tifa mercilessly. With the accusation, Tifa blushed heavily.

“Yuffie, don't be silly. We're friends.” Tifa made an attempt to sound convincing, though it was the truth, Tifa admitted to herself that she wished for a little more at times.

“Oh, right. And I married Cid!” Sarcasm dripped from Yuffie's quick counter. Tifa's head tilted and she decided this would be her only way out.

“Oh, Yuffie! I always knew you had feelings for Cid. Ever since he first called you brat you were just head over heels, weren't ya?” Tifa turned the accusations harshly on the blushing ninja.

“What? Gawd! I was just kidding… the old man.” Yuffie squirmed beneath Tifa's burning eyes. “Okay! So I had a freakin' crush on him. So what?” She confessed. Tifa's brows raised consecutively and she peered at the young girl with curiosity.

“I thought you had a crush on Vincent?” Tifa inquired.

“Well yeah, but that was long gone. Who cares though? Didn't you catch the keyword `had'? It means I don't anymore.” Yuffie convinced Tifa of this fact.

“Okay, okay. What are you doing up so early, anyhow?” Tifa was surprised to see her up at this hour, and she successfully distracted Yuffie from the idea of Vincent.

“Oh! I need to go. I gotta go see Godo about something.” Yuffie sprang to her feet upon her revelation. “But we can get together later, yeah? I mean, we can have some fun.” A smirk played across Yuffie's lips.

“Of course. Go on, I'll see you later.” Tifa shooed Yuffie on her way and returned to the study she was conducting on the various scenery around her. Her mind drifted slowly over the events of the previous day, combining slowly with Yuffie's accusations about her feelings. It was all so sudden, but Tifa couldn't really be sure what she felt just yet. The previous night certainly brought about plenty of questions about her feelings and how Vincent fit into them.

She also still had so much she wanted to learn about him, and perhaps get to the bottom of his nightmares. A thought slipped across her involving the idea of being `forced' to spend every night by his side to scare off those nightmares, causing a quirky smile to play upon her lips. Her mind was also full with questions about her own nightmare. Why had he made such confessions in that dreamy first part of the nightmare? Did her subconscious desire such things? She didn't quite know where to begin, but she knew she needed answers.

Vincent had finally left his world of nightmares and traded them in as the light flooded his room. To her knowledge, he was still asleep. Little did she know that he was observing her from beside a tree across the park. He hadn't been there long at all, he'd only come recently enough to see Yuffie leave in a hurry. Perhaps she'd been the reason he'd waited there, not wanting to interrupt the two as the caught up. Though to his suspicion, he was also deciding whether or not to approach Tifa or simply run while he still could. He watched as she smiled, feeling a sudden urge to come upon a decision.

`Fight or flight…?'

Thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter one.

So that's chapter two! I know that it's a little different with the dreams and such, but trust me, this will play into the relationship and make for many more questions that need answering :) It will be a long road. If you have any suggestions or things you quite like about the story, please don't be afraid to mention that via e-mail or even in a review.